WHO NEEDS AN X-BOX WHEN I GOT A SKY BOX (Sky Digital)

Member Name: Stroody

Product:	Sky Digital
Date:	06/12/07 (944 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ultimate entertainment in TV viewing - Value for money - Brilliant Company - Tailor made viewing

Disadvantages: Bad , windy, stormy & rainy weather will at times affect the picture quality.

I recently wrote a review on the Discovery channel and to my surprise I was quite taken back at how many people said they don't have Sky Digital TV at home. I've been a Sky customer for so long now(15 years) - starting out with analogue & then converting to digital TV. So I guess I just take it for granted that everyone else has it too - evidently this is not the case. So, for all those people who are missing out on all the countless TV channels that Sky Digital provide or are presently unhappy with your current cable company , then the best thing you can do this Christmas is to treat yourself by subscribing to Sky digital. This is one xmas present that will guarantee to put a smile on all family members faces. So this year why not give the x-box a miss and get a Sky box instead. - Its simply TV viewing at it s very best and this company effortlessly brush aside its competitors both in value for money and in the selection of channels on offer. When moving home from London to Kent I was more concerned about my Sky TV installation than my new fitted kitchen .... Need I say more.- Its that brilliant that I cannot be without it & I will tell you why.

*[Who Needs An X Box When I Got A Sky Box]*

Like all modern state-of-the-art technology, what good is the software without the backing of good and quality hardware equipment - Sky digital TV is no exception & so once you subscribe to this kind of home entertainment viewing , the following hardware equipment will be installed in your property :

[1] - Satellite Dish - Free
[2] - Sky Digital Receiver Box - Standard Box Free
[3] - Classy Remote Control - Free
[4] - Viewing Sky Card

*All Sky customers will receive the above and all FREE no matter which Sky package you decide to go for but you will have to pay a one off payment of £30 - £40 to get your equipment installed. Nowadays , the equipment provided by Sky is far more sophisticated and stylish looking than what it used to be. The satellite dishes are no longer white in colour & ugly looking , instead they are smaller in size yet pick up a powerful ,strong & clear viewing reception. The standard satellite dish is now a black mesh design & although visible , it is appealing on the eye and one that actually compliments the infrastructure of the building or roof when on view.

*The Sky box or decoder box , what ever you prefer to call it has evolved from your bulky and basic Beta VHS look and transformed itself into this slick & slim line stylish decoder unit. Even the standard free Sky box will look good in your living room - one that will compliment your other technical appliances both in looks and in modern technology. I have multi-room in my home hence my Sky box is slightly different to your normal standard box. Nonetheless , Sky have come a long way from the old traditional TV analogue receivers and so rest assured which ever unit box you decide to opt for you will not be disappointed. - the horrid looking fascia and basic buttons are a thing of the past .- Note: Up-graded decoders are not free and so consult Sky before plunging in , some models are quite expensive.

*The heartbeat and drive to Sky digital , and to fully appreciate TV viewing when sat in the comfort of your sofa has to be the Sky remote control - without this powerful tool Sky digital would not be half as good , oh no most definitely not. It is via this infra red remote that you begin to open a whole new world of home TV entertainment whilst navigating through the numerous pages and options you can choose from. You will be pretty much amazed at the variety of features that one can access & more so when going interactive. - When setting up your Sky box , the installation team will run a phone line cable from your decoder unit into your phone socket. This is compulsory when subscribing , customers need to have a land line in order to comply with Sky's terms & conditions. When clicking interactive you have an array of services at your disposal - from internet access to read emails , home shopping ,online banking , playing games , Sky text and much more. When accessing certain services via interactive the menu screen displays how much it will cost your per minute , and all is calculated via the phone line.

The ergonomically & user friendly numerical / button pad remote is self explanatory making Sky viewing quick and responsive when operating. - Needing to AA batteries to operate , you can navigate with confidence as a displayed message on TV screen will flash when battery life is low. This a small yet excellent feature , this is exactly what you will soon discover once you get familiar with your Sky remote. These small detailed features enhance TV viewing to its maximum , giving you full control on how to set-up and customise when tuning into Sky digital. - One of my favourites has to be Personal Planner - a superb feature that allows you to select a programme you want to watch but it may not be on for another three days. You simply click on it and just before the programme is about to start you are directed to the channel or given a reminder on the screen - an indicator that the programme is about to begin. Many a times I have forgotten about some documentary programme I wanted to watch and as always the personal planner feature has come to the rescue.. With a wide selection of channels on offer the favourite channel feature is one you should to get to grips with real soon - This allows you to store you most viewed channels , thus creating a list of you favourites programmes. This method of approach is so much easier to locate specific Sky channels when ready to view than having to scroll up/down for the search.

However , despite the simple layout and self-explanatory button fascia when navigating via your Sky remote you won't fully understand its full potential overnight - The array of services on offer mean you should really take some time out to read up on your remote and how to operate it fully - this in the long run will benefit the customer not only when viewing Sky digital programmes but also the running of your Sky package account as well as information on updated channels and services that Sky plan to introduce - At all times keeping customers fully informed of all new developments and proposals. Customers will also come across contact telephone numbers on viewed pages , this is in case you don't feel confident enough to verify an action via your remote or you may even feel that further information is needed before going ahead by clicking on the button - either way you can rest assured as help is always just a phone call away 24/7.

*Once all plugged in & hooked up to Sky digital you are ready to insert your Sky viewing card - it's the size of a credit card that easily slots into your decoder and this in return will decipher the channels that your Sky package should contain - all the while receiving a clear and crystal picture/reception at all times. This viewing card contains a small chip , similar to the ones you find on mobile simm cards and it is this that holds and stores all customer information accompanied with a serial viewing card number - your own personal customer identification. You will at times have to quote this number to Sky customer service when contacting them - you simply pull the card out and read out the number and then slot back into decoder. Very simple and easy to do and once viewing card is inserted back the channels will decipher back to normal relatively quick , giving you instant access & TV viewing. All Sky viewing cards are sent to customers by post accompanied with a copy of the contract and details of the Sky package you have subscribed to.


*[Sky TV Packages]*

When selecting a viewing package you will soon discover that the customer is pretty much spoilt for choice - top quality digital TV at a touch of a button and all this can be tailor made to suit your ideal viewing preference when selecting the Sky channels on offer. There are in total 24 different Sky viewing packages hence that is 24 different monthly prices. So in order to give you the customer a fair idea of what you will be paying on a monthly basis I have decided to tackle the cheapest package as well as the most expensive package that Sky offer. This way you have some indicator of what you will getting for your money.

Viewing Package: Sky World
Monthly Fee : £45 Per Month -Direct Debit Payment
Channels Offered: All Sky channels

The above package is my subscription with Sky digital and this is the ultimate viewing package and the most expensive one available. With this package I get to see every possible Sky channel on offer , ranging from all the entertainment programmes to all the movies , sports , news & documentaries , kids , educational & knowledge programmes , music and radio - You name it the Sky World package has it. More than 400 films per week across all of the Sky movie screens as well as 300 entertainment channels. Live sporting events and that too is across all of the four Sky Sports channels - excellent footage and commentary when viewing. So basically for £45 per month this package is well worth it & value for money.

Some of my favourite channels on Sky digital are:

[1] - National Geographic
[2] - The Discovery Channel
[3] - Sky One
[4] - Paramount Comedy
[5] - Sky Sports Channels
[6] - Movie Channels
[7] - Sci -Fi Channel
[8] - Sky News
[9] - Bravo
[10] - MTV

The cheapest package on offer by Sky is £16 per month - still great value for money for what you get. More than 100 channels plus and there are some real good gem of a channels hidden within these smaller priced packages as well. You will however miss out on all the sport and movie channels events - this a basic package but one that will suit many as well. Those who don't subscribe to the movie package also have the option of viewing pay per view movies by clicking on the box office button via the remote control , pay per view also applies to sporting events. The box office option is not something I use much as I have no need to - my Sky package is jam packed with everything I need.

*[The Company - Sky Digital TV]*

I don't think there are many people in this country that can say they have been a Sky TV customer for more than 15 years - I on the other hand can boast that I have , during which its been one of the best run companies I have dealt with and I have never experienced any complications with my contract or when viewing the Sky channel programmes. Customer service is brilliant and I always come away a satisfied customer - the manner in which my enquiries are dealt with are first class. I only deal with best and Sky digital are the very best in this field. -bringing you TV home viewing entertainment onto another level & one than is expanding all the time. So if you are looking for a top quality digital TV package and one that is superb value for money then look no further than Sky digital.



I more than HIGHLY RECOMMEND Sky TV!!




Thanks ............. Stroody 2007 @ 20.00hrs 06/12/07

Summary: Sky are the very best in this field - The ultimate digital TV experience